What's Always Left Unsaid
by imsuchanut
Summary: She's egging him on, and he knows it. And loves it. Because that's just what they do: they tease and bicker and spar, then make up after the big fights in secluded areas so that they could be alone. That was who they are, Legolas and Tauriel-and they wouldn't change a thing about that. (Legriel)


"He's quite tall, for a dwarf." She says it with a twinkle in her eye and a smirk on her lips, eagerly anticipating his reaction.

Although he catches all this, he's too blinded by his anger at them to respond in their normal way. These horrid...dwarves dare threaten the safety of Mirkwood, disrespect them all, and for what, to regain the mountain? They would risk the lives of thousands of people to regain petty gold? Dwarves were stupider than he previously thought. And that was saying something.

They were greedy, vile, stupid creatures. And he wanted them gone as quickly as possible. Especially the tall dark one Tauriel seems to have taken an interest in. But purely because he was the most disrespectful. Not for personal reasons that could possibly be considered inappropriate for their platonic, prince-captain relationship.

"But just as ugly." Now it was his turn to smirk, walking away feeling somewhat victorious. Over what, he wasn't quite sure.

She's egging him on, and he knows it. And loves it. Because that's just what they do: they tease and bicker and spar, then make up after the big fights in secluded areas so that they could be alone. That was who they are, Legolas and Tauriel-and they wouldn't change a thing about that.

But there's something about this dwarf that's driving him insane. Plenty of elves had noticed and admired Tauriel, but most hadn't a tenth of the nerve of that dwarf. They would never _dare_ talk to her like that so...so...outrageously. She was to be respected, not vulgarly flirted with. It was setting him on fire, and he didn't quite know why. He was the prince of Mirkwood, not competition with a lowly dwarf.

_Oh._ The realization sets in like a hit on the head; he's _jealous_. Properly jealous of this ridiculous, rude, repelling dwarf. And why? Because he _flirted_ with Tauriel? That was no reason to get riled up. In fact, he had no reason to get jealous at all, did he not?

There was nothing between him and Tauriel that could possible render him that way. Except, maybe, her skill with the bow, but truthfully, his combat skills were a match with hers. But other than that, absolutely nothing. She caught up to him, her shoulder accidentally brushing his arm in the narrow corridor, and he prayed that the heat currently radiating from that spot could not be seen on his face. No, there was nothing there at all.

She was his childhood friend, his fellow warrior—nothing more. He swallowed down the flood of emotions that bubbled up, not willing to admit they were there, or think about what that meant. They never would, and never could be anything more.

The walk was spent in a comfortable silence, something they were used to doing in the hallways of the castle. True, no one but the guards was around this time of night, but he did not want to give them further reason to talk. Tauriel, although renowned for her skills, was still made a captain at a considerably young age. And combined with their friendship…it gave people a reason to talk. There was no truth to the rumors, of course. But the pair seemed to keep adding fire to the flame. Captains and princes were not meant to relish the thrill of sparring against one another, or hold drinking contests, or sneak out at night to train together under the starlight. Maybe there _was_ some truth to the rumors….

Tauriel broke the silence before he could give it any more thought. "It's getting worse, mellon-nin."

He frowned at her, unsure if she knew what he was thinking, something she had an uncanny ability to do. "What are you referring to?"

She stopped in the middle of the hallway and gave him a piercing look. It was times like these that he was reminded why she was captain—Tauriel was a fierce elf, a force not to be reckoned with. "The spiders. We take down a nest, and another one just springs back up. It's like a _plague_."

He could not deny the truth in her statement, although it worried him to think of it that way. His father's method of denial was undoubtedly easier, but some things were too blunt to ignore. But he saw the glint in Tauriel's eye, and he knew that something was bothering her. Any other elleth might have missed it, but he knew her far too well. "That's not it, is it?"

She pursed her lips and stared at the stars. He knew exactly what she was thinking—she had shared it with him often, and though he would not admit it to her, it bothered him. As beautiful as the stars were, her longing to join them reminded of her impulsiveness, and her sense of adventure. She was a wild spirit, and he did not want her to run away.

But her lack of answer worried him. She was so verbose, so outspoken—to remain silent was not like her, especially when she was around him. He stepped closer (too close, a voice that sounded suspiciously like his father whispered in his head) and raised his hand, before dropping it. Close as they were, he did not want to seem too forward. Not that he had any intentions of being like, well, _that,_ with her. None at all. But he didn't want to push her away. Things had been so…wonderful between them lately. He didn't want to ruin whatever was happening.

"Tauriel." There was still no answer. "Tauriel, please. Look at me." She slowly turned back around to face him. There was a strange look in her eyes now, a mixture that he couldn't quite figure out, but bothered him nonetheless. "Talk to me, Tauriel."

When she spoke again, her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "There's something coming, something dark. The spiders, the dwarves, the chill—can't you feel it? There's something happening here, and I…I fear for all of our lives."

He took a deep breath. A concerned Tauriel was something he was used to dealing with, he had garnered enough injuries over the years. But he had never seen her scared. Not when her parents died, not on her first mission, not even dealing with his father. And that made _him_ scared. Tauriel had wonderful intuition. If she was worried, then he should be also.

But showing this fear was not in his best interests. He did his best to always be open with her, but sometimes it was necessary to bend the truth, to hide his emotions (he ignored how familiar hiding his feelings from her was). "I feel it too, Tauriel. But whatever it is, it will not defeat us. We are strong, stronger than anything that dares cross us."

"I fear you overestimate our power."

"I think the strength of Mirkwood is underestimated."

She fixed him with a steely gaze. "Well, none shall know of the strength of Mirkwood if your father keeps this up."

He frowned. Tauriel was favored by his father, and she was closer with the family than most of those in the kingdom. Of course she had plenty to say about him over the years; he was, after all, the man who ruled over them all. Everyone had something to say about the king. But never did she criticize his father with such resentment. "What do you mean?"

"He means to keep us safe, but he is doing the exact opposite. We are isolating ourselves. Mirkwood cannot remain safe by staying behind our borders. We must go out, and defeat the forces that threaten us." Again, there was truth in her statement, and again, it worried him.

He remained silent. "Mellon-nin?"

Legolas sighed, apprehensive of what he was about to say. Naturally, little defiances had occurred over the years. But it was not easy admitting a parent was leading one down the wrong path. "I know you are right."

Tauriel looked victorious, her face bathed in gold underneath in the flickering candlelight. He bit his tongue to prevent him from saying anything. "And?"

He knew what she wanted, and he also knew it would not be easy, if not impossible. But he could never say no to her, even on his best day. And she knew that, if the twinkle in her eye was anything to go by. "I will talk to him, but do not expect immediate results, if any."

But she was already beaming up at him. "Thank you, I cannot tell you how much better I feel now."

"There is no reason to worry, you know that. Did we not take care of both spiders and dwarves today?"

A smile broke out across her face, and he could feel it reflected in his. "But mellon-nin, were not most of the spiders already defeated? By none other than the dwarves themselves?"

There she went, egging him on again. He relished their familiar dance, loving it for everything it was. "Utter falsehoods. They had maybe slain a few at best. And those were the smaller ones."

"And I suppose you did more than that?"

"Tauriel, I know for a fact I did better."

"Maybe my lord thinks too highly of himself."

He faked an exasperated sigh. "We've known each other for hundreds of years. Must you always insist on formal terms?" Tauriel raised her eyebrows. They'd had this conversation numerous times. He wasn't really annoyed, in fact, he almost enjoyed it. Tauriel only called him that as a nickname now, a sign of jest. When they were around officials in her father, she tended to lay it on thick, watching him try not to laugh under the gaze of their elders. "It's almost as if you do it just to annoy me." Now it was his turn to tease her, and he felt a swell of pride at her accompanying laugh.

"My lord, you know I would never do that."

"I think you would, actually. I think you enjoy trying to get a rise out of me." He had stepped closer to her as he talked, close enough that he could see the flecks of gold in her eyes, brightened by the candles.

"Get a rise out of you? My lord, you are the very definition of calm. Nothing can ever faze you." He was pleased to see that she had inched closer to him also. If a guard were to walk by they would definitely be compromised. He could think of no excuse as to why they were in this position.

"Nothing except you. You're the only one that knows just how to push me." He realized the double meaning of his words the moment he had said them, and immediately wished he could take them back. Even for them, this was pushing it. And for a normal pair of elleth? Highly improper. Maybe he had spent too much time around the dwarves, or maybe his feelings towards Tauriel were getting out of hand. Either way, he needed to watch his mouth.

But Tauriel didn't seem to mind, and instead made the next move in their dance. This was thrilling, his nerves set on fire. And Legolas was sure she was not minding this either. "That's because I've had lots of experience. And I _intend_ to keep pushing you, mellon-nin." Her voice was low, and it was doing something to him that made him feel tingly inside. They were closer than before now, too close, and it was both thrilling and terrifying. Something was about to happen, and it would change everything, for better or for worse.

The unique sound of clanging metal shattered the moment, sending the pair several feet away from each other, and turning them matching shades of red. He didn't need a looking-glass to know it wasn't his best color. "What was that?" she whispered, hand on her dagger.

He shook his head, but kept his voice low. "Probably one of the new guards. But still, we should probably leave here. Do you fancy a hot chocolate?"

They sprinted to the kitchen, ducking behind pillars and hiding behind walls to avoid being seen. It just went to show how much training the guards were in need of, if they let intruders slip around in the night. Or maybe he and Tauriel were just too good. He didn't pay much attention to the matter, instead focusing on the looming promise of hot chocolate and Tauriel's laughter.

The kitchen, while located in the lower levels, was always warm and cozy. There was always plenty of food and drink, as well as a member of the staff, but they had taken to leaving after Legolas and Tauriel arrived. The pair had been known to cause mayhem as young elleth, and had been banned from the premises for several decades. But the pair was known to be charming when they wanted to, and everyone knew they kept sneaking in anyways. After they stopped causing fires (on accident, they always maintained), the kitchen staff learned to flee upon their entrance. And honestly? Legolas had no problem being alone with Tauriel, for reasons he still had problems admitting (to himself, he'd never tell her, or anyone else, for that matter) existed.

He found the pitcher on the stove and poured two large glasses, adding a splash of rum, just the way they liked it. After sneaking alcohol out of the kitchen a hundred years ago, they learnt the best way to drink it: chocolate. It was also the perfect way to end a long day, and it gave him a little extra time. But the atmosphere was all wrong, and whatever moment they were having earlier was certainly gone now (although he fully intended to regain it soon).

Tauriel slurped her drink loudly, making him laugh. In turn, she laughed at the chocolate left on his face from chugging the entire glass. The pair erupted in laughter, and he could've sworn his sides were about to split. Being with her was always sure to be a good time. The laughter eventually subsided, and was replaced by a heavy mental fog. Whether it was from the rich drink or the alcohol, he could not tell. They spent the next few minutes in silence, staring into the bottom of the mugs they undoubtedly drank too fast. She leaned her head against her hand, and he did the same.

Tauriel broke the silence. "Legolas?" It was late now, almost three in the morning. They had training tomorrow, and there was to be a party in the evening.

She barely stifled a yawn as she said his name, and he knew exactly what she was going to say. He couldn't blame her. Today had been a trial, and tomorrow was going to be equally as exhausting, albeit in a different way. "Yes?"

"I grow weary at this hour. It has been a very long day. I shall see you tomorrow, yes?"

"What, did the dwarves tire you out?"

She let out a low chuckle. "I think I did a greater number on them. Good night, Legolas." She was too tired to tease him, and he was a bit too tired to mind. Even elves required sleep, though considerable less than men and dwarves. He supposed it was a perk of an immortal being, despite its tendency to leave him with long stretches of boredom in the night.

Tauriel put her goblet in the sink and made to leave the kitchen, but he jumped up and met her at the doorway. "Let me walk you to your chambers." As captain of the guard, her chambers were in the castle. It was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, she was always close to the training grounds, always knew what was going on, and was nearby if there was ever an emergency. On the other, living under the gaze of those at the castle could be stifling, and Legolas knew she had difficulty with it.

She was also bound to run into a guard, who would be wondering why she was up so late if not on patrol. And being with the prince would squash any confrontation (This was definitely not the rum talking. It definitely wouldn't start even more castle gossip. It definitely wouldn't be a bit of a victory over his father. And he definitely didn't offer because he just wanted to spend more time with her. ).

Tauriel's eyebrows crinkled at the surprising, though not unwelcome gesture. "But—"

"No buts. It's been a long day, and besides, my chambers are on the way." This was not, strictly, true. It was entirely possible to reach his chambers by passing Tauriel's, but it was definitely much quicker to go the opposite way, something they both knew. Mercifully, she didn't say anything, and silently accepted his company.

They stopped outside her door, but instead of leaving, he stayed and stared down at her, and put his hand on her arm. She quirked an eyebrow and looked up at him expectantly with a mixture of surprise, although, he was glad to note, not offended or angry. He was being unusually forward. Walking her to her room was rare enough, and usually reserved for when she had been injured, which was unusual in itself.

"You fought excellently today." He said it with a smile, and hoped that she would impossibly sense his underlying meaning. She had always been able to read his mind, why should his feelings be any different? He let his arm slide down to her hand. They were barely touching, but he could still feel her radiating warmth.

Tauriel beamed up at him, her face illuminated by the starlight. In all of his years, Legolas was sure he had never seen anything so beautiful. "Thank you. Good night, my Lord." With a small squeeze to his hand, she disappeared silently into her quarters, leaving him with a burning hand and a smile on his face.


End file.
